The Little Paper with the Big Toot

January is for the birds

Ri McGlamery with Regional Biologist Arlo Kane discus building bird houses for the back yard.

On Wednesday, January 7, Arlo Kane, Regional Private Lands Biologist with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission, presented a very informative program to members of Chipley Garden Club. His program covered providing backyard habitat for the birds in our area. Kane made suggestions for flowering plants, large and small trees, shrubs and ground covers that either attract or provide food/cover for backyard birds. He also offered photographs of common birds found in our backyards.

The first Chipley Garden Club meeting of 2018 was held at the First Presbyterian Church of Chipley and was hosted by Butterfly/Bird/Wildlife Committee Chair Ri McGlamery.

The meeting was called to order by President Debbie Mitchell and the group discussed several subjects including making dish gardens with students at Kate Smith Elementary, preparing the Falling Waters Butterfly Garden for the winter, Yard of the Month, a field trip to “The Amaryllis Man”, and Florida Arbor Day 2018.

Arbor Day will be celebrated by planting trees at the Washington County Historical Society in honor of long-time member Vonceil Coggin and in memory of the late Lyndal Pleas. A small reception is scheduled for 10:30AM on Friday, January 19th at the museum.

Wildflower Chair Glenda Wilson discussed Tropical Milkweed aka Asclepias curassavica. Milkweed is very important to the Monarch butterfly population which is in decline. The Tropical Milkweed blooms much longer than native milkweeds which die back in the fall. Native is always better, but the Tropical Milkweed will do in a pinch.

The next monthly meeting of Chipley Garden Club will be Wednesday, February 7th at Oakie Ridge Baptist Church. If you would like to attend a meeting or learn more about the club, please contact Debbie Mitchell at 638-0536.